Absurdity of the 'Country' game

[Seeds]

Why celebrate any cause or group of people?

And actually, farmers are special.

Our traditional exports and national products all come off the land. And when all the rocks have been dug out of the ground and sent to China, that will be the case again.

It's incredibly important to our economy. One eternal natural asset Australia has over other economies is space. That makes us ideal for farming and food supply. Unless we want to be making cars or sneakers for $1 an hour to be competitive, that's the future of our country.

The population of our major cities continues to grow at breakneck speed, so those in the bush get a bit forgotten.

And it's tough gig. It's isolated. You're at the mercy of conditions and climates for your living. Look up suicide rates among farming communities... it's alarming.

So there's nothing wrong with putting on an event to shine a light on the farming industries and put them in people's faces. A few kids might learn something.

if you want to be poor people then agriculutre is our future. Space is irrelevant now. Most scientists predict the world has hit peak agriculutre land. We can now grow crops in lands previously inhospitable and at multiple times the efficiency of old and you dont need much skills to be a farmer thus wages are low and will get lower. oh and agriculture was pretty much the first industry in every country. That does not make it special.

If we want to be a wealthy country we need to become highly trained in skills that people need. IT, doctors, engineers. This is where the future is if we want to be a well off society.

 

[Stopher]

Am I the only one seeing the irony of a poster going by the handle 'Seeds' bagging out farmers?

 

[SAweagle]

Rehab before posting.

Found the lawyer

 

[Milanista28]

Sheedy invented Anzacs and Dreamtime and the country he's a ripper bloke and deserves the MCG.

 

[gavaniacono]

Just a thought from my point of view. In the past pre-season trial games were taken to to small country towns but this no longer happens. We did play a JLT game in Leeton which is another indicator, a long with reserves curtain raisers st Spotless, we are a lot more old fashioned than most would think.

I like the idea of country games pre season or during. There is a long heritage there and a legacy to be built for newer places. Curtain raisers used to be a great part of the game, shame they cut up the surface so much. Old fashioned sounds pretty good to me!

 

[AndyLucimitis]

Sheedy invented Anzacs and Dreamtime and the country he's a ripper bloke and deserves the MCG.

I live in the country and want to thank you all and the AFL for this tribute to me.

Can I get free piss or something ??

 

[wagstaff]

This seems as ill-advised as the Eureka game North/Richmond tried out with little success a decade ago (naturally another Sheedy idea).

 

[Underarm]

Or for once allow the team based in the country host it?
3rd year in a row Essendon has been the home team.

Completely by design, and beneficial to both clubs.

Geelong get another away game on the MCG, and don't have to waste a home game against Essendon meaning more likely to get teams in Geelong.
Essendon get a game on the MCG, and if it builds into a marqee game they may never have to play in Geelong again.

 

[The 747]

I think you may have missed the point of the theme. It is to promote the country community and what we do for the city folk in terms of growing food and raising livestock etc.

I thought the point of it was to make sure Essendon didn't have to come to Geelong ie the country.

 

[Bulldogs Legend]

It's clearly silly. As is the Bulldogs pretending that playing to 6.5k people in Ballarat is feasible. It needs a rethink on exactly what you're rying to achieve I think.

I think it would be a good option to take one game a year to smaller places. Victoria isn't that big and the major regional centers are in fairly easy reach of Melbourne games.

The smaller centers further from Melbourne would take the game to places that dont usually get an opportunity to see top level football. As a spectacle it would draw a high percentage of the local population regardless of the clubs involved.

Note that it would be a "one off" with no intention of an AFL team based in Mildura for example, simply taking AFL to the grass roots. The stadium surfaces might be an issue but fundamentally if they are not safe then they shouldn't be used for local comps anyway.

Perhaps they could play it at Spotless give away free tickets and then double count everyone to get to a 9k attendance!

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

Perhaps they could play it at Spotless give away free tickets and then double count everyone to get to a 9k attendance!

The thread is about country games. Spotless is close to the geographical centre of the largest metropolis in Australia. So hard to imagine a more irrelevant post.

 

[Bulldogs Legend]

The thread is about country games. Spotless is close to the geographical centre of the largest metropolis in Australia. So hard to imagine a more irrelevant post.

So where is the MCG scene of this weeks country game?

 

[Bulldogs Legend]

Because football is the social centre and has always been an integral part of farming districts. I’m not sure how Football and lawyers or teachers have a social community interaction.

An example is that in the Wheatbelt of WA farmers donate a truckload or 2 of their harvest to the local footy club account when delivering to the bins. That money supports the team, pays for the coach, pays for top up players from the city etc.

Your question is a good reason why we need to celebrate the farming and football connection more so to educate the city people.

And who will educate the country folk?

Plenty of hard working salt of the earth true blue dinky die Aussies live in the city and support their local clubs as well. Some of them even get up before the sun does every day!

 

[Bulldogs Legend]

I live in the country and want to thank you all and the AFL for this tribute to me.

Can I get free piss or something ??

Yes just drop around to Sheedy's place!

 

[HTT]

if you want to be poor people then agriculutre is our future. Space is irrelevant now. Most scientists predict the world has hit peak agriculutre land. We can now grow crops in lands previously inhospitable and at multiple times the efficiency of old and you dont need much skills to be a farmer thus wages are low and will get lower. oh and agriculture was pretty much the first industry in every country. That does not make it special.

If we want to be a wealthy country we need to become highly trained in skills that people need. IT, doctors, engineers. This is where the future is if we want to be a well off society.

We do need their produce though - that won't change for a while yet, so unless you're willing to go do their work for their pay, I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss them.

 

[Tulip]

It's clearly silly. As is the Bulldogs pretending that playing to 6.5k people in Ballarat is feasible. It needs a rethink on exactly what you're rying to achieve I think.

I think it would be a good option to take one game a year to smaller places. Victoria isn't that big and the major regional centers are in fairly easy reach of Melbourne games.

The smaller centers further from Melbourne would take the game to places that dont usually get an opportunity to see top level football. As a spectacle it would draw a high percentage of the local population regardless of the clubs involved.

Note that it would be a "one off" with no intention of an AFL team based in Mildura for example, simply taking AFL to the grass roots. The stadium surfaces might be an issue but fundamentally if they are not safe then they shouldn't be used for local comps anyway.

Perhaps unpopular, but I reckon footy has just about peaked as far as its scope goes. It'd have to really take off in Sydney, which seems unlikely given League is going nowhere, to get any bigger. I know they are playing the long game, but its disheartening seeing Showgrounds so empty every week. Particularly with those garish orange seats that draw attention away from the fans that actually go. There are simply no regional centres in Vic, outside of Geelong, that could ever hope to draw a consistent crowd of 10k plus.

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

Perhaps unpopular, but I reckon footy has just about peaked as far as its scope goes. It'd have to really take off in Sydney, which seems unlikely given League is going nowhere, to get any bigger. I know they are playing the long game, but its disheartening seeing Showgrounds so empty every week. Particularly with those garish orange seats that draw attention away from the fans that actually go. There are simply no regional centres in Vic, outside of Geelong, that could ever hope to draw a consistent crowd of 10k plus.

My post wasn't really about expanding the game, it was about respect for the existing grass roots.
I believe as an annual event rotating through various places it would draw more. I think you have to understand the size of the event in areas where it will rarely be seen, and frankly the lack of options available in metropolitan areas.
Not interested in discussing our crowds in this thread, which is about a country game.

 

[Tulip]

My post wasn't really about expanding the game, it was about respect for the existing grass roots.
I believe as an annual event rotating through various places it would draw more. I think you have to understand the size of the event in areas where it will rarely be seen, and frankly the lack of options available in metropolitan areas.
Not interested in discussing our crowds in this thread, which is about a country game.

I'm not criticising the GWS crowds, I don't think there's any more that their administration could possibly do. It is what it is.

 

[Boxhead_31]

Completely by design, and beneficial to both clubs.

Geelong get another away game on the MCG, and don't have to waste a home game against Essendon meaning more likely to get teams in Geelong.
Essendon get a game on the MCG, and if it builds into a marqee game they may never have to play in Geelong again.

Isn't the point of "Blockbuster" games that both teams take turns hosting?
And Essendon hasn't played in Geelong since the mid 90's

 

[captain cotch 9]

The fact that Essendon are represented in this game gives it no worth.

 

[BarryMorgan]

It's clearly silly. As is the Bulldogs pretending that playing to 6.5k people in Ballarat is feasible. It needs a rethink on exactly what you're rying to achieve I think.

I think it would be a good option to take one game a year to smaller places. Victoria isn't that big and the major regional centers are in fairly easy reach of Melbourne games.

The smaller centers further from Melbourne would take the game to places that dont usually get an opportunity to see top level football. As a spectacle it would draw a high percentage of the local population regardless of the clubs involved.

Note that it would be a "one off" with no intention of an AFL team based in Mildura for example, simply taking AFL to the grass roots. The stadium surfaces might be an issue but fundamentally if they are not safe then they shouldn't be used for local comps anyway.

The major issue with this is the scheduling - playing on a Saturday afternoon, when the majority of local fans are playing for or watching local footy and netball clubs, is plain old dumb. Sunday afternoons are a far better option.

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

The major issue with this is the scheduling - playing on a Saturday afternoon, when the majority of local fans are playing for or watching local footy and netball clubs, is plain old dumb. Sunday afternoons are a far better option.

But what are the Bulldogs trying to achieve by playing in Ballarat?

 

[Mcgearzz]

In a round where the afl has a match in Shanghai they inexplicably schedule Sheedy's brain fart at the mcg. How the hell can a country themed game be played in the most populous city in the state? Would it be so hard to fixture the country game in a rural town?

Why did I know a hawks fan would start an anti Essendon geelong Forum?

 

[Seeds]

We do need their produce though - that won't change for a while yet, so unless you're willing to go do their work for their pay, I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss them.

Im not dismissing it. Im saying its not special. And we can import it.

 

[Bulldogs Legend]

But what are the Bulldogs trying to achieve by playing in Ballarat?

Well we are annoying you so that's a start!

Its about the $$$$ we have for a number of years had to live with the crap Etihad deal where we needed crowds over 30k to make a profit all the while paying off the stadium for the AFL to buy at a bargain price. The idea is that we make more from a Ballarat game against the GC\Port\Freo than we would at Etihad. Along with that we attract separate sponsors ie Mars who are Ballarat specific. Its not really about getting a huge crowd as the capacity is only 12k or so.